Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 82
LXXXII
The Author prays that his intent
Be kindly ta’en—no harm is meant.
The Author’s intent
O gentle lovers, all and each,
By love’s sweet pleasures I beseech
Of you, that if herein ye see
Some words which smack of ribaldry,
Whereof foul slanderous tongues might make
Occasion ’gainst us to awake15890
Contempt for that we’ve said or writ,
Ye courteously naysay their wit;
And when you’ve given such folk the lie,
And treated them conformably,
If there shall fall within my task
Some things whereof I pardon ask,
Past doubt you will forgive me them,
And strive men’s censuring speech to stem,
Value of plain phrase
Explaining how the matter needs
That ’mid fair flowers must sprout some weeds;
And for my subject must I use15901
Plain words, sans liberty to choose.
And ever find I fair and right
The phrase Dan Sallust doth indite,
Wherein he saith: If equal praise
Deserveth not the man who lays
A noble deed within a book,
Whereon the world at large may look
With him who did the deed, yet he
Who sings the achievement faithfully,15910
With words well suited to the tale,
Is to the world of great avail:
For if the author be no fool,
But writeth after wisdom’s rule,
Then should the words and phrase, wherein
He sets his facts, be close akin
With them; I therefore choose my way
Plain things in plainest phrase to say.